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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2090 ..

MR SPEAKER: For the information of members, I present a report of a trip undertaken by Mr Michael Moore, MLA, to Perth on 8 and 9 June this year.

MR SPEAKER: For the information of members, I present Auditor-General's Report No. 5 of 1997, entitled "Management of Leave Liabilities".

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General) (3.18): I seek leave to move a motion authorising the publication of the Auditor-General's report.

Leave granted.

MR HUMPHRIES: I thank members. I move:

That the Assembly authorises the publication of the Auditor-General's Report No. 5 of 1997.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister) (3.18): Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I present the Government's response to Report No. 3 of the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, entitled "Report on Inquiry into Guidelines for Assistance to Members for Legal Proceedings", which was presented to the Assembly on 10 April 1997. I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

Mr Speaker, the Government endorses the standing committee's recommendation for a statutory scheme, but believes that the Attorney-General should issue drafting instructions. The step to a legislative scheme is important for two reasons. One issue discussed in the standing committee's report is the operation of section 14 of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988. In effect, this means that there is a risk of disqualification if a member accepts remuneration or allowances other than as provided by the Remuneration Tribunal or under an enactment. As the report notes, the Remuneration Tribunal considers that assessment of legal assistance does not fall within the ambit of the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1995.

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